Barrel-heater



(No Model.)

J. RATE. BARREL HEATER.

` No. 409,301. Patented Aug. 20, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE,

JOHN RATII, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BARREL-HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,301, dated August20, 1889. Application filed April 27, 1889. Serial No. 303.877. (Nomodel To @ZZ whom may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BATH, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria-llungary, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theManufacture of Barrels and Kegs, of which the following' is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

lfereto'fore the staves of barrels and kegs frequently have shown breakson their outer surface from the heavy tension given to the outer grainsof the wood from bending, which breaks generally appear after suchbarrel or keg has been used a short time, and will then slierten theusefulness of the same considerably; and it is the object of this myinvention to prevent such breaks by shrinking and hardening the insidegrains of the staves, so as to reduce the tension of the outer grains;and with that object in View my invention consists in a device orapparatus for exposing the inside of the barrel to the stron g heat ofan open tire after the sta-ves have been assembled and secured togetherby truss-hoops, atv

the same time immersing the ends of the barrel or keg into water, so asto keep the wood therein soft for the further operations of faeing,crozing, andv chamfering, all as will be hereinafter described andspecifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan of theapparatus, and Fig. 2 a vertical section through the center of the samewith a barrel in position therein.

Corresponding letters in bot-h figures of the drawin designate likeparts.

A denotes a basin, preferably of cast-iron, and having in its middle afire-pot l, with. a grate C. This is built in the floor, with anair-channel provided below it for the admission of air to the grate C.The basin around the lire-pot is filled with water, and into this is setone of the barrels D. The heat from the gases rising from the lire-potwill heat and pareh the inner surface of the staves, so as to shrink andharden the same. Thebarrel is reversed from time to time, so as to keepthe ends wet and soft. After being thus eX- posed to the heat asufficient time the barrel is removed for hnishing.

A barrel or keg thus treated duringits process of manufact-ure will notshow breaks in the outer surface of the staves and will be of muchlonger duration.

The apparatus herein shown and described,

consisting of an annular basin for water and for receiving one end ofthe assembled staves of a barrel and of a central fire-pot for heatingsuchbarrel on its inward surface, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J OIlN RATI'I.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. Lorz, OTTO LU'BKEET.

